Newcastle After One Of Europe’s Top Young Center-Backs

Written by Dr. Ed Harrison

8:04pm Saturday, October 15th, 2016

Commented 32 times

It’s no secret that Rafa Benitez and Lee Charnley have been planning for the upcoming January transfer window and also for the summer transfer market when we are hoping Newcastle have been promoted back to the Premier League.

News today that Newcastle are targeting 19 year-old 6ft 5ins Partizan Belgrade center-back Nikola Milenkovic, but as might be expected there are other clubs also scouting the top young defender.

Nikola Milenkovic – 19 year-old Partizan Belgrade center-back He looks good in black and white Newcastle scouts have already watched the youngster a number of times this season and he has come through the youth ranks at Partizan and was out on loan to Teleoptik for a while last season in the second division in Serbia, where he played 13 times.

Newcastle could well be thinking of making a move for the player, who only turned 19 last Wednesday.

Nikola made his debut for Partizan in the SuperLiga match against Mladost Lucani last April and clubs like Ajax and Anderlecht have also shown an interest in the defender.

Nikola already has one cap for Serbia playing in the 3-0 loss to Qatar in a friendly on 29th September, when he was still only 18, during the last International break, so he is very highly regarded in Serbia.

If Newcastle are serious about signing this player in January we’re sure Rafa will have Aleksandar Mitrovic have a word with his fellow countryman – we think Mitro will give both Newcastle and Rafa Benitez a good reference.

🙂

If we do manage to sign the player then his fellow countryman Mitro would also be able to help the youngster quickly settle on Tyneside.

These are the type of top young players we should be signing, as we try to build up a top squad which can eventually start winning trophies for Newcastle.

ToonHeart – when you are at the match you can see that everything comes through Shelvey. He is the outlet ball from defence and when attacking the ball comes through him frequently not to mention some of his long raking passes to the wing. I’m actually surprised that no opposition teams has tried putting a man marker on him – stop Shelvey and we lose half of our prowess.

“Mitro and Milenko” what a great double act. imagine a wound up Mitro and a 6’5″ defender coming after you. Most teams will stay in the dressing room rather than face those two with 52,000 fans behind them. Bring it on !

On CB’s, we’re all expecting a quality PL CB to be bought when we get back up there, I think people will be surprised and it will be Mbemba that is sold and upgraded, Clarke and Hanley are perfect as two uncomplaining back up’s and Mbemba could still be sold for a decent fee, I don’t think he’d be happy playing second fiddle and therefore will be gone imo.

Holloway mentioned this after the Villa game saying he is shocked that no team is man marking Shelvey! Although its difficult for teams in that he can create a chance almost from his own teams 18 yard box with 1 pass! He will need to adapt and up his game even more if teams do decide to man mark him more also the players around him will need to up their games !

@Jail

Mbemba plays defensive midfield for his country a lot would love Rafa to convert him for us as he has a lot of tools to be good in that position takes a lot of risks at the back which Rafa will not be a fan of!

On this defender the club has scouted players for years before making a move and its meant they have missed out on some great players! I think under Rafa we will look to sign these players a lot earlier and then either loan them back out or have Rafa’s coaching team work on them!

Martoon No wait was comfortable… This is what I posted then I got back from game…

Charlie calling’ Just got in

Comfortable win – mm maybe – but when we went 3-0 nil up we lost the plot again and got sloppy with to many backpasses, hoofs and misplaced passes which a better team than Brentford would of capitalised on.

My Player markings

Darlow 7- had a decent game did nowt wrong and came and caught the ball – didn’t see what happened for the goal. Distribution good first half defence came short for roll outs – second when TOON let Brentford come onto us hoofed it long Anita 6 – Another who had a decent game but his passing let him down Lascalles 7 – another good game until went off with a niggle. Clark 8 – Had a good game scored a good goal and some good blocks second half Dummett 7 – defended well got up the line well but too many times wants to turn inside and pass back. Colback 8 – the ginger Pirlo had a good game always available for a pass from Shelvey and today actually passed forward Goufran 8 – good game linked up the defence and midfield – covered every blade of grass tackle passed – excellent Shelvey 9 – MY MAN OF THE MATCH showed all his passing skills short long involved all game laid on two goals and involved for the other. Only thing lacking – seems to struggle in passing it long to his left – few times today Dummett had acres of space for the long ball but wanted to turn inside and pass to the right. Perez 7 – Did ok – tried all game but drifted in and out of the game to much. Missed two opportunities second half to make it four Gayle 8 – excedllent today scored a good first goal and on the spot for Shelvey’s cut back – got to calm down when wound up. Atsu 6 – FRUSTRATING – BLOODY FRUSTRATING took up some great positions had plenty of the ball but seem not sure whether to cross shoot or pass thus the end product was poor.

Subs Hanley 4 – Don’t now if tired but looked like carthorse today Yedlin 5 – Did well when he came on Lazaar 5 – Defending looked week but created himself a great chance from nothing

Redf 2 – And that’s for turning – Don’t know how many bookings but only one worthy and that’s for their player bouncing the ball. AND should of played advantage twice when we had a great opening but blew the whistle to bring the ball back for a free kick

Crowd 7 – great first half atmosphere but noise level dropped second half became anxious as we let Brentford come at us

Me – might of brought Mitrovich on for the last twenty minutes for Perez or Gayle as a outlet for the high hoofs upfield

LCPB, Not a bad shout, Tiote is history and Colback, I don’t think is good enough, so Hayden and Mbemba fighting it out or being rotated could be ideal with that hard as nails quality CB coming in. What if we get a quality CB and Clarke proves better than Lascelles, can a non regular starters still be captain?

Well that was a canny game all in all. At no time did I feel they threatened us and although we slacked off after going three up, we always had enough and some spare. What more can be said about Shelvey? Sublime range of passing that shines very bright in this league. Stood out a country mile today, so much better than anybody else on the pitch. Doesn’t matter what league he’s in, a 60 yard pass right onto the toe is as good in the PL as it is in the Championship. England call up must be on the cards. Darlow very comfortable again and likely to retain his place. Clark must have Villa fans pulling their hair out with yet another very good game. All in all – a great win. Sutty, fyi, Arma picked up a knock playing for England, which is why he sat out the last game. Nothing to do with not being able to get in Barnsley’s team. 🙂 A lad with a massive future.

Mitrovic gifted Gayle the shirt by being unavailable for the first three league games through suspension and now he’s missing out badly. The team will continue to carve out chances and Gayle will continue to run around and score the goals to keep his place and Mitrovic will probably quite rightly think it should have been him.

442 to accommodate both of them seems a forlorn hope for him too, because opposition teams will continue to sit back and counter, leaving us little option but to set up 4231 and move the ball around, be patient and probe, with Mitro looking in real danger of becoming a clear plan b.

Interesting that Benitez praised Perez for his movement, in what was viewed by many as a modest performance from him. I didn’t think we’d see Perez and Gayle again because of their lack of physical presence, but we did, and what we got was a lot of intelligent movement and 3 goals. That as well weakens Mitro’s position, unfortunately for him, and possibly us, because frankly had he started the season with the shirt, things would probably have been very different, and possibly even better than they are now for the side.

One thing we should do when defending a corner is leave someone up the pitch . we always seem to have everyone back and have no one to clear to and nothing to keep opposition players back. Don’t understand why we do it.

rafa has never or very few times set us up with people on the posts he favours zonal marking as a coach

Zonal marking is a defensive strategy where defenders cover an area of the pitch rather than marking a specific opponent. It’s trasformed from catenaccio. If an opponent moves into the area a defender is covering, the defender marks the opponent.

but i would at times more so seeing out matches see people on the posts

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